سُوْرَةُ المَآئِدَةِ
Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 66
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِم مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ لَأَكَلُوا۟ مِن فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِم ۚ مِّنْهُمْ أُمَّةٌ مُّقْتَصِدَةٌ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ سَآءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿66﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And if only they had acted according to the Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), and what has (now) been sent down to them from their Lord (the Qur’ân), they would surely have gotten provision from above them and from underneath their feet. There are from among them people who are on the right course (i.e. they act on the revelation and believe in Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم as ‘Abdullâh bin Salâm رضي الله عنه), but many of them do evil deeds.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَوْ
walaw
And if
أَنَّهُمْ
annahum
that they
أَقَامُوا۟
aqāmū
had stood firmly
ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ
l-tawrāta
(by) the Taurat
وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ
wal-injīla
and the Injeel
وَمَآ
wamā
and what
أُنزِلَ
unzila
was revealed
إِلَيْهِم
ilayhim
to them
مِّن
min
from
رَّبِّهِمْ
rabbihim
their Lord
لَأَكَلُوا۟
la-akalū
surely they (would have) eaten
مِن
min
from
فَوْقِهِمْ
fawqihim
above them
وَمِن
wamin
and from
تَحْتِ
taḥti
beneath
أَرْجُلِهِم ۚ
arjulihim
their feet
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
Among them
أُمَّةٌۭ
ummatun
(is) a community
مُّقْتَصِدَةٌۭ ۖ
muq'taṣidatun
moderate
وَكَثِيرٌۭ
wakathīrun
but many
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
of them
سَآءَ
sāa
evil
مَا
mā
(is) what
يَعْمَلُونَ
yaʿmalūna
they do
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
66. 1 The meaning of adhering to the Torah and the Gospel is to follow those commands within them that were given to them, and among those commands was also the command to believe in the Last Prophet. And by وَمَا اُنزِلَ is meant to have faith in all the heavenly books, which also includes the Noble Quran. The meaning is that they should have accepted Islam.
66. 2 The mention of above and below is either for emphasis, meaning that Allah Almighty provides abundant and various types of sustenance, or above refers to the sky, meaning that He sends down plenty of rain as needed, and "below" refers to the earth, meaning that the earth absorbs this rain and produces abundant crops. As a result, there is prosperity and abundance, and crops are harvested. Just as it is stated at another place: "If the people of the towns had believed and adopted piety, We would have opened for them blessings from the heavens and the earth."
66. 3 But the majority of them did not choose the path of faith, and they persisted in their disbelief and denial of the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ. This persistence and denial is referred to here as evil deeds. The group of moderate conduct refers to individuals like Abdullah bin Salam, about 8 or 9 people, who among the Jews of Madinah became Muslim.
66. 2 The mention of above and below is either for emphasis, meaning that Allah Almighty provides abundant and various types of sustenance, or above refers to the sky, meaning that He sends down plenty of rain as needed, and "below" refers to the earth, meaning that the earth absorbs this rain and produces abundant crops. As a result, there is prosperity and abundance, and crops are harvested. Just as it is stated at another place: "If the people of the towns had believed and adopted piety, We would have opened for them blessings from the heavens and the earth."
66. 3 But the majority of them did not choose the path of faith, and they persisted in their disbelief and denial of the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ. This persistence and denial is referred to here as evil deeds. The group of moderate conduct refers to individuals like Abdullah bin Salam, about 8 or 9 people, who among the Jews of Madinah became Muslim.
